San Francisco Homelessness in the Media 2009
Homelessness in San Francisco came under increased media attention in mid-2007, especially through an ongoing series in The Chronicle. This page will provide links and summaries of those stories, as well as other sources, in order to give SFHomeless.net users an overview and ready access. This page is meant as a resource. Please do not use summaries as a place to voice opinions or make judgments. Please feel free to add links to stories that deal specifically with SF Homelessness published since Summer 2007. Thank you. 12/31/09 - SF Chronicle - Mary Ladd's The Poop Baby Blog "It's called the "Family Lounge" for a reason" Summary: The Westfield Mall has a family lounge that gets used by the homeless and loud teens. 12/24/09 - SF Chronicle - Amanda Gold "For helping hungry, Food Runners takes the cake" Summary: Food Runners takes donated food and gives it to the needy. 12/23/09 - SF Chronicle - Editorials "Taking back the Haight" Summary: Chronicle editors support a Sit-Lie law to address street thugs in the Haight. 12/22/09 - SF Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Rancid guitarist treats teens to skateboards" Summary: Rancid guitarist Lars Frederiksen donated skateboards to the youth at the Mission Family Housing Apartments. 12/18/09 - SF Chronicle - Andrew Ross "Getting S.F. leaders to pay attention" Summary: Ross believes business leaders should be more vocal in passing a Sit-Lie law. 11/28/09 - SF Chronicle - City Brights, Craig Newmark "Homeless wiki resources" Summary: San Francisco, L.A., and Tampa Bay are using wikis to help the homeless. 11/26/09 - SF Public Press - T.J. Johnston "VA launches initiative to assist homeless vets" Summary: VA has new services and benefits to help homeless veterans. 10/21/09 - SF Chronicle - AP "Homeless in Eureka get to sleep in cars" Summary: Eureka is setting up zones where people are allowed to sleep in cars. 9/09/09 - Fog City Journal - Chris Daly "A Progressive Call to Action" Summary: San Francisco supervisor remarks upon the resignation of President Obama advisor, Van Jones, who once organized on behalf of the homeless in San Francisco. 9/09/09 - San Francisco State's Golden Gate Xpress - Shayla Durrett "Budget crisis affects homeless services" Summary: "Budget cuts and a daunting economy have left San Francisco's homeless with few places to turn to for services." 9/09/09 - Foxnews.com - Edward Barnes "Growing Pedophile Clusters are Shelters for Sex Offenders, Danger Zones for Public" Summary: As part of a story about sexual predators, a spokesperson for the California Coalition against Sexual Assault states that “One hundred percent of San Francisco’s sex offenders are homeless....There is just nowhere they can live in the city.” 9/09/09 - Catholic San Francisco - Tom Burke "San Francisco’s St. Vincent de Paul Society to commemorate 150 years" Summary: The St. Vincent de Paul Society has been helping the homeless and destitute in San Francisco since since Gold Rush days. Article mentions planned commemorative events. 9/06/09 - Christian Science Monitor - Jina Moore "Taking the homeless beyond shelters" Summary: "Rosanne Haggerty's Common Ground creates permanent housing that has reduced homelessness by 87 percent in one 20-block area of New York City..... her mixed-income model has been adopted in Los Angeles; San Francisco; and Sydney, Australia." 9/06/09 - San Jose Mercury News - April Dembosky "Released California prison inmates at risk for more health problems" Summary: Tens of thousands of state prison inmates will soon be released and the state is not ready to cope with the health problems that they have. Many released prisoners, besides being sick, become homeless. 9/03/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Heather Knight and Carla Marinucci "Donors generous to Newsom's pet projects" Summary: "San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has raised nearly $1.2 million in charitable donations to his pet projects from scores of supporters with business before the city - including developers, landlords, unions, health care providers and airlines, city records show." One of Newsom's pet projects is his Project Homeless Connect. 9/01/09 - Street Sheet - Coalition On Homelessness "Twenty Years of the Street Sheet" Summary: A brief look back at the Street Sheet's two decades of existence. Today it supplements the incomes of over 200 people and is read on-line from "Sri Lanka to Lesotho." 8/30/09 - Contra Costa Times - Jim Welte "Ritter Center launches art houses campaign" Summary: "Ritter Center, the San Rafael nonprofit organization that helps the homeless, is launching a public art campaign that gets Marin artists to decorate miniature houses... that will be placed throughout Marin and then auctioned off in May 2010." The campaign is modeled on other successful fundraising ideas, including one in nearby San Francisco. 8/26/09 - USA Today - Nanci Hellmich "Homeless people learn to feed others as chefs" Summary: "Across the country, many skilled chefs at homeless shelters and social-service kitchens are offering free culinary arts courses to the homeless, unemployed and underemployed." Story mentions San Francisco chef Anthony Pardi. 8/26/09 - Fog City Journal - Stephen Lendman "Growing Poverty and Despair in America" Summary: With some painful facts, essayist Stephen Lendman gives a snapshot of poverty, including homelessness, in the United States of America. 8/25/09 - HuffingtonPost.com - Seth Freed Wessler "30% Unemployment, Pre-Recession: Immigrant Communities Need Real Recovery" Summary: Optimism about Wall Street's recent improvements do not take account of the tolls (including homelessness) extracted from minority workers. Video of San Francisco's Chinese Progressive Association organizer Shaw San Liu included. 8/20/09 - The Public Press - Kevin Stark "SF supes skirt law in restoring funds to service providers" Summary: Restoring funds to programs in San Francisco (including homeless programs) raises some questions. Article has link to a video by Monica Jensen about The Mission Neighborhood Resource Center. 8/17/09 - Pasadena Star-News - Teresa Jansen "Teresa Jansen: A week in the Tenderloin" Summary: A young Communications graduate participates in a program that teaches her what it is like to be homeless in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. 8/12/09 - San Francisco Examiner.com - Staff report "Ammiano homeless shelter bill signed into law" Summary: State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano's AB 767 extends the deadline for agencies to access Proposition 1C Shelter Trust Fund dollars for multifamily housing and homeless shelters. 8/12/09 - BeyondChron.org - Carol Harvey "Hobos To Street People: Artists’ Responses To Homelessness from the New Deal to the Present " Summary: Article with video encourages people to see art exhibition about homelessness before it closes. 8/11/09 - San Francisco Business Journal - S. Duxbury "Bay Area to get two new SingleStops" Summary: $300 million in government funds available to help the needy goes uncollected yearly in San Francisco. Rep. Nancy Pelosi announces expansion of local programs (including at a homeless prenatal program) to help distribute unclaimed benefits . 8/10/09 - World Socialist Web Site - Ali Ismail "US cities criminalize homelessness" Summary: A Socialist comments on the July 13 report, “Homes Not Handcuffs." 8/10/09 - KPFA Against the Grain - C.S. Soong "Mon 8.10.09| The Ugly Laws" Summary: "The so-called ugly laws banned people considered unsightly and disgusting from exposing themselves to public view. According to Susan Schweik, these city ordinances are loaded with significance, for what disability has meant and still does, for class antagonisms and political agency, and for how elites deal with those they despise and fear." Radio program available on internet. 8/08/09 - New York Times - Barbara Ehrenreich "Is It Now a Crime to Be Poor?" Summary: Indebtedness, prejudice, and the need for cities to find new sources of revenue all play a part in making it harder than ever to escape poverty and homelessness in America, so says Ehrenreich in this op-ed. 8/03/09 - Examiner.com - Frank Mundo "Oilspill dotcom: Interview with Author and Activist Alon Shalev" Summary: Berkeley novelist Alon Shalev (who also directs Hillel) volunteers to help the homeless in San Francisco. 8/02/09 - New York Times Soccer Blog - Jack Bell "Zak Ibsen Was Saved by the Beach" Summary: Soccer player who lives in San Francisco resuscitates career that was nearly destroyed by crystal meth and homelessness. 8/02/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Associated Press "San Francisco wins homeless soccer tournament" Summary: San Francisco soccer team made up of homeless players gets closer to winning Milan world championship. 7/31/09 - cbs5.com - Joe Vazquez "5-Year-Old SF Girl Fundraises To Feed Hungry" Summary: A five-year-old "donated nearly $4,000 to the San Francisco Food Bank; in effect, providing more than 17,000 meals for hungry San Franciscans." 7/29/09 - guardian.co.uk - Paul Harris "New York City funds relocation for homeless people" Summary: Rather than welcome the homeless as it did in the past, New York City today emulates a San Francisco program that pays the homeless to leave. Critics argue it does not address the roots of the homelessness problem. 7/21/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Questionable homeless group shuts its doors" Summary: The San Francisco Homeless Services Coalition which Paul Boden, director of the Western Regional Advocacy Project, calls a "rip-off program" appears to have closed its office on Market Street. 7/20/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Meredith May "Beloved Tenderloin priest Floyd Lotito dies" Summary: Chronicle obituary for St. Anthony Foundation's Father Floyd Lotito. "A vigil will be held at 4 p.m. today at St. Boniface Church, 133 Golden Gate Ave., in San Francisco. The funeral Mass starts at 10 a.m. Tuesday. The Franciscans request that gifts be made in the Rev. Lotito's honor to St. Anthony Foundation, 150 Golden Gate Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102." 7/17/09 - CBS5.com - BCN Press Release "$8.75M In Fed Funds To Aid SF Renters, Homeles(s)" Summary: According to mayor's office federal stimulus money will be paid out to third parties such as landlords or utility companies. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said in a statement: "Often times, a little bit of financial assistance can make all the difference between a stable home and being forced to live in a shelter or on the streets." 7/15/09 - The Public Press - Samantha McGirr "Newsom vetoes pro-tenant ordinances" Summary: Just before a 5 p.m. deadline last Friday, Mayor Newsom vetoed three pro-tenant laws designed primarily to aid low-income tenants during the recession. 7/15/09 - PRNewswire.com - St. Anthony Foundation "Fr. Floyd Lotito, OFM, Former Deputy Director of St. Anthony Foundation, Dies" Summary: "Franciscan Father Floyd Lotito, longtime director of many programs at St. Anthony Foundation since 1970, died on July 14th, 2009. He was 74 years old." 7/13/09 - The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty and The Coalition for the Homeless - "Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities" Summary: 194 page July, 2009 report captures widespread media attention for describing U.S. cities that are "meanest" to their homeless. Los Angeles and San Francisco are first and seventh in the top ten meanest cities. (PDF Version of report here). 7/10/09 - Palm Springs Desert Sun - Aldrich M. Tan "Rescue Mission moves forward with new building campaign" Summary: The Affordable Housing Program in San Francisco has given a Palm Springs, California rescue mission its largest grant: $1.5 million. 7/9/09 - USA Today - Wendy Koch " Homelessness in suburbs, rural areas increases" Summary: HUD releases a report that shows that the number of homeless people in rural and suburban shelters has grown significantly. Article compares these figures to urban homelessness and provides useful table of homelessness by state. 7/9/09 - Philadelphia Inquirer - Jennifer Lin "Construction begins on homeless shelter" Summary: The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco contributes with rock star Bon Jovi and others to a project to house homeless in Philadelphia. 7/9/09 - Bay Area Reporter - Cynthia Laird "News in brief: SF AIDS Walk retools its message" Summary: This year's AIDS Walk San Francisco will focus on raising more funds during tougher economic times. Also: Research suggests between 20 percent and 40 percent of all homeless youth identify as LGBT. Chloe Michelle Noble and Jill Hardman are trekking across country on their behalf and will take part in activities in San Francisco which include a free dinner and march on Friday, July 10. 7/9/09 - Toronto Star - Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew "Power Dining: Buffett lunch with the Oracle of Omaha" Summary: It was Toronto hedge fund firm, Salida Capital Corp. which won lunch with Warren Buffett after placing the highest bid in his annual charity auction benefitting Glide's homeless outreach and services. 7/8/09 - WorldChanging.com - Emily Pilloton "Crossroads Cafe: Providing Job Training and Darn Tasty Sandwiches" Summary: Crossroads Cafe helps rebuild lives of former substance abusers, ex-convicts, homeless and others. 7/7/09 - The Public Press - Christopher D. Cook "A tale of two zip codes: Recession worsens rights gap between rich and poor" Summary: A comprehensive description of "a little slice of the Third World" nestled in one of the world's wealthiest cities. 7/7/09 - Salt Lake Tribune - Associated Press "Pride walk raises awareness of homeless LGBT youth" Summary: Some women are walking cross country with a stop in San Francisco to raise awareness of homeless youth who are gay, lesbian or transgender. 7/6/09 - New York Times - Julie Bosman "Summer Brings a Wave of Homeless Families" Summary: July 7, 2009 paper front page story in New York Times details how New York City officials, like their counterparts elsewhere in the U.S., expect an all-time high of homeless needing shelter. 7/6/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Budget Next Steps: Preserving Gains that Were Made" Summary: Hogarth advises how to protect savings in this year's City Budget and notes which programs were saved. (Included: the Next Door, Episcopal Sanctuary, and MSC-South homeless shelters which will stay open during the daytime. 7/5/09 - San Mateo County Times - Christine Morente "Bayshore Elementary district receives federal funds for homeless students" Summary: "The Bayshore Elementary School District will receive an $8,382 grant to help its 35 homeless students. Oakland Unified School District will get $82,000, while the San Francisco and San Jose Unified districts are slated to receive $101,150 and $47,750, respectively." The number of homeless students is growing as the economy worsens. 7/2/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Crucial Programs Saved; Mayor’s Pet Projects Remain" Summary: "Will Sacramento Blow Up City Budget? Will Newsom Target Add-Backs?" Denouement of political-deal cutting regarding City budget leaves plenty to feel skittish about in the future. 7/2/09 - SF Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "S.F. supervisors, Newsom cut budget deal" Summary: "The Board of Supervisors cut a budget deal with Mayor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday evening that would use nearly $44 million to save health and human services programs without laying off police or firefighters." 7/2/09 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "Homeless respite center opens as shelters shut" Summary: Mayor Newsom attends grand opening of medical respite shelter with capacity of 45 beds for discharged homeless patients from SF General. 7/1/09 - ABC7News.com - Carolyn Tyler "'Die-in' staged at City Hall due to crisis" Summary: A die-in at San Francisco City Hall precedes wait for compromise on the budget between the City Supervisors and the Mayor. Video. 7/1/09 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "Newsom Budget Protests Continue" Summary: Protesters performed die-ins at San Francisco City Hall "to draw attention to Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget cuts." 7/1/09 - cbs5.com - "Local Wire" "SF: Sobering Center for Homeless People Reopens in SOMA" Summary: Mayor Newsom proclaims Kaiser Permanente Day because the health care provider donated $250,000 to the Medical Respite and Sobering Center which reopened. 6/30/09 - WesternEdition.com - Mark Portuondo ""Home Away" relief from homelessness" Summary: With one out of every 50 children in the Unites States homeless, and 25% of San Francisco's homeless population children, "Home Away From Homelessness takes homeless children from various San Francisco and Marin shelters and provides a physical, emotional and spiritual respite for them." 6/30/09 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "Newsom Budget Protests Continue" Summary: "A candlelight vigil was held yesterday outside City Hall to protest Mayor Gavin Newsom’s budget which includes over $125 million in cuts to health and human services." Many of the cuts affect the homeless. 6/29/09 - SF Chronicle - Heather Knight "City Insider: New report slams city's shelter system" Summary: Report issued by the Coalition on Homelessness reveals shelter reservation system to be filled with problems. 6/29/09 - San Francisco Examiner - Tamara Barak Aparton "Homeless advocates slam shelter system" Summary: Report by advocates for the homeless not mentioned by name is released just as the City changes the reservation procedures for its homeless shelters. 6/28/09 - Fog City Journal - Direct Action to Stop the Cuts, Coalition for Budget Justice, Coalition to Save Public Health "LGBT Activists Protest Newsom’s Budget, Stage Pride Die-In" Summary: Public health and human service activists staged a die-in protest during Pride 2009 Parade to draw attention to Mayor Gavin Newsom’s budget that includes over $121 million in cuts to health and human services. Video. 6/27/09 - Gainesville Sun - Andrew Ford "UF grad decides to grab meaning over money" Summary: Man quits corporate job to form a non-profit called "A Good Idea" which helps others including the homeless in San Francisco. 6/27/09 - Wall Street Journal - Geoffrey A. Fowler "Buffett Lunch Goes for $1.68 Mil on eBay" Summary: Cecil Williams of Glide says that demand for his church's services to the poor and homeless have increased 20% in the last year. Magnate Warren Buffett will donate the proceeds of his annual auction of his lunchtime companionship to Glide 6/27/09 - Fog City Journal - Coalition to Save Public Health "Pride Marchers Find Shame in Mayor’s Budget" Summary: Rafael Mandelman, president of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club: “We can take no pride in a Mayor who devastates public health and slashes HIV/AIDS prevention funding and housing subsidies.” Sunday's Gay Pride Parade will include demonstrations against the Mayor's budget cuts. 6/25/09 - The Public Press - Hank Drew "Supes on: The budget — Cutbacks are fiscal 'armageddon,' Daly says" Summary: City Supervisor Chris Daly candidly comments about the power behind the Mayor's office which takes services away from the needy. Video. 6/24/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Rebbca Bowe "No surrender, no retreat: Bellicose rhetoric masks real differences over budget priorities" Summary: Human services are competing with other city departments over who should share the pain; the Board of Supervisors seeks more compromise from the Mayor. 6/24/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "New S.F. court dismisses over half its cases" Summary: The CJC Criminal Justice Center "homeless court" is dismissing half of its cases, but is it a waste of money or a way to get people connected with services. The debate over its funding and future is heating up. 6/24/09 - The Guardian - John Crace "How the crunch shrunk the charity lunch" Summary: Smarmy commentary about annual EBay auction of lunch date with US investor Warren Buffett which raises money for feeding homeless at Glide Church in San Francisco. 6/24/09 - San Francisco Bay Guardian - Tommi Avicolli-Mecca "The price of normal" Summary: Queer activist is troubled that an overemphasis on achieving "marriage equality" is a conservative goal which ignores the history of the gay liberation movement and also contemporary realities of homelessness, poverty, and unemployment. 6/22/09 - The Public Press - Kevin Stark "Mayor restores funding for Tenderloin drop-in center" Summary: Mayor Newsom restored funding to the Central City Hospitality House Self-Help Center according to Director Jackie Jenks. 6/22/09 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Christian Boone "Homeless bed down in shelter without water" Summary: Shelter fails to pay bills in Atlanta, Georgia. Could something like this happen in San Francisco? 6/21/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "'Righteous Dopefiend'" Summary: Review of book about the homeless experience in San Francisco,'Righteous Dopefiend'. 6/17/09 - The Public Press - Kevin Stark "Vote moves $82 million from public safety to public health" Summary: After a day of high tensions and loud public outcry, the mayor and supervisors indicate that they will consider working together to complete budget. 6/17/09 - Fog City Journal - Luke Thomas "Supes Pass Interim Budget" Summary: "The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an interim budget Tuesday that includes $82 million in deappropriations, including $35 million in cuts to the budgets of firefighters and cops." Photos. 6/17/09 - Indybay.org - "$" "Thuggery of the firefighters & police at 6/16 Bd of Supes hearing" Summary: Anonymous author, "$", describes hoodlum behavior and conflict at City Hall with regard to the city budget. 6/17/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "Raucous rallies as S.F. supes vote on budget" Summary: "After a raucous day of demonstrations and public comment, a majority of the Board of Supervisors voted symbolically to move $82 million in the interim budget out of public safety departments to fund health, human services and recreation programs." Photos and CBS 5 video linked to. 6/17/09 - ABC7News.com - Carolyn Tyler "SF braces for even deeper cuts" Summary: Continuing coverage of the San Francisco city budget battle. Ken Reggio of ECS (Episcopal Community Services), among others, weighs in. Video. 06/16/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "City Employees Divided on Budget" Summary: Hogarth describes how lack of money is pitting city workers against each other, and how this does not auger well for Mayor Newsom's gubernatorial campaign. Hogarth describes the factions and strategies employed. 6/13/09 - Indybay.org - "Mayor Newsom's Proposed Budget Will Terminate Critical Health and Human Services" Summary: Hundreds took to the streets to protest Mayor Newsom's budget proposal that can "terminate critical health and human services, while pumping up salaries for police by 25% and adding many new high paid patronage positions into his own administration." Links to six minute video by Bill Carpenter, photos by D. Boyer. 6/12/09 - MSNBC - Suzanne Perry "‘Craigslist’ for volunteers to debut soon" Summary: Some nonprofit leaders protest volunteer website, "All for Good", saying it reinvents the wheel. Curious iPhone function mentioned as an idea to assist a homeless shelter. 6/11/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Rebecca Bowe "Politics Blog: 'Budget Justice' rally rocks City Hall" Summary: More coverage of Wednesday's rally to stop cuts to critical services. 6/11/09 - The Public Press - Kevin Stark and Lizzy Tomei "SF budget cuts target behavioral health" Summary: "Hundreds of San Francisco's most vulnerable people -- the mentally ill, homeless, and seniors among them -- will be pushed out of the social services safety net and even further into the margins if proposed cuts to the Department of Public Health go through." Jackie Jenks, of Central City Hospitality House, and other health service leaders quoted. Videos. 6/11/09 - The Public Press - Michael Pistorio and Kevin Stark "Supervisors urge shift of $82 million from cops and fire to health" Summary: "In a day of protest inside and outside City Hall," the City Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee approved "shifting $82 million from the mayor's interim public safety budget to the San Francisco Department of Public Health and other city departments getting cut by Newsom's budget ax." Jennifer Friedenbach (Coalition on Homelessness) quoted. Video included. 6/11/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Supes Push for More Equitable Budget " Summary: The Board of Supervisors Budget Committee asserts itself in the city budget process (Chu and Dufty dissenting) to find a way to restore human services cut by the mayor. This followed an impressive march to City Hall by a crowd representing a "diverse mosaic of San Francisco’s neediest". Hogarth analyzes Newsom's strategy of attacking smaller budget items. 6/10/09 - Web Newswire - Business Desk "Google Volunteers Connect to the Tenderloin" Summary: tomorrow, June 11th, from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Google employees will be teach classes and do one-on-one tutoring with homeless and economically challenged participants at the Tenderloin Tech Lab, a collaboration between St. Anthony Foundation and Network Ministries. 6/10/09 - LBPost.com - Ryan ZumMallen "Speaking His Mind: An Interview With Mayor Gavin Newsom" Summary: Interviewed in his commanding Los Angeles gubernatorial campaign office, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom puts a positive spin on issues he has focused on. He mentions that he is proud of expanding housing for the homeless. 6/8/09 - The Public Press - Kristina Shevory "Perfect storm of bad economic news led to San Francisco's budget scramble" Summary: Continued coverage of San Francisco's planned budget cuts which will affect services to the poor and homeless. A helpful graphic of departmental proposed cuts is included. 6/8/09 - The Public Press - Christopher Cook "The San Francisco budget: a user's guide" Summary: "Quick-and-dirty user's guide to the budget process" describes key players in the fight for taxpayer dollars. Jennifer Friedenbach, director of the Coalition on Homelessness and Jackie Jenks, director of the Central City Hospitality House are identified as key players fighting on behalf of the homeless. 6/8/09 - Ashville Citizen-Times - Leslie Boyd "Activist priest to speak in Asheville" Summary: San Francisco peace activist and priest, Fr. Louis Vitale of St. Boniface Church, will speak in Ashville, North Carolina on the topic: "“Love Your Enemies: Transforming Us vs. Them Thinking.” He is currently on a three month speaking tour. 6/8/09 - MLB.com - Jesse Sanchez "Three Giants fans up for All-Star honor: Finalists helps students, animals, homeless children" Summary: The founder of Project Night Night which comforts homeless children in San Francisco, Kendra Robins, is a finalist for an award to be announced at Major League Baseball's All-Star game this year. 6/8/09 - BeyondChron.org - Tommi Avicolli-Mecca "Homeless Moving On Up in Brooklyn" Summary: San Francisco essayist notices outside-the-box thinking that turned a luxury condo development into a homeless shelter. 6/8/09 - BeyondChron.org - Randy Shaw "Lembi, Kaussen, Ben-Simon: How Banks Wreak Havoc on Tenants" With colorful anecdotes, Shaw argues that activists should target lenders before landlords when San Francisco tenants are displaced. 6/8/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Where to Start Cutting in the Mayor’s Budget" Summary: While Mayor Newsom's proposed budget is exacerbating partisan conflict, Hogarth points out costly redundancies in city services (like the 311 Call Center) that need better examining. Hogarth fears a growth in evictions and the loss of services for SRO residents. 6/09 - Affordable Housing Finance - Donna Kimura "The View from City Hall" Summary: According to a survey of 23 big-city mayors (including San Francisco's), high housing costs, low-paying jobs, and foreclosures are driving demand for affordable housing. Twenty-one of the 23 cities have 10-year plans to end homelessness. 6/6/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "Group distributes socks, sweets to homeless" Summary: Facebook friends link up to help the homeless in San Francisco. 6/5/09 - SFWeekly.com - Joe Eskenazi "Has Gavin Newsom Found a New Bright Idea (Hatched By Someone Else)?" Summary: At next week's U.S. Conference of Mayors, Mayor Gavin Newsom is expected to promote a pioneer Bank on San Francisco Program, which helps the poor and homeless bypass predatory check-cashing outlets. 6/5/09 - Los Angeles Times - Patrick J. McDonnell "Jack Henning dies at 93; California labor leader" Summary: Obituary of legendary labor leader quotes him saying in his 1996 farewell address to the California Labor Federation: "...see what capital has done to the poor... see the homeless, beggars at the table of wealth.... Let the defenders of the established order live with that moral outrage." 6/5/09 - Fog City Journal - Jeff Adachi "Crime, Coercion and the CJC" Summary: Essay by San Francisco Public Defender takes a look at the Community Justice Center (CJC) and strategies to achieve justice more effectively, particularly when dealing with persons, such as the homeless, who have restricted options or little stake in the community. 6/4/09 - BeyondChron.com - Paul Hogarth "Newsom Budget Did Not Count SEIU Agreement" Summary: SEIU 1021 members have approved a new contract that gives the city wiggle room to seek new revenues and restore some non-profit services. 6/4/09 - Switched.com - Kendra Cunningham "Homeless Folks Getting Reconnected Through Facebook, Twitter" Summary: Short article explores what seemed an unlikely media market niche: the homeless. Interesting links included. 6/4/09 - San Jose Mercury News (AP) - Josh Funk "Warren Buffett lunch auction begins in late June" Summary: Bids to win lunch with billionaire start at $25,000. The proceeds will go to Glide which provides meals and services to San Francisco homeless. A Chinese investment fund manager bid $2.1 million last year. 6/4/09 - San Jose Mercury News - Judy Lin "In states, stimulus aid favors social programs" Summary: According to this story, two-thirds of federal stimulus money to states will go toward health care, existing jobs, and social programs (some helping the homeless)-- not "shovel-ready" job-creating projects. Democrats say they are responding to concerns like those of Republican Sen. Nunnelee of Mississippi who wants to see more money spent on public works. 6/4/09 - Lafourche Parish DailyComet - Naomi King "Houma native dies after California purse snatching" Summary: Louisiana native, Helen Canafax, who befriended homeless and volunteered for St. Anthony's Foundation and Glide died yesterday of complications. She had been injured when her purse was snatched in San Francisco in April. 6/4/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - C.W. Nevius "Bureaucrat scuffs dream of homeless shoe shiner" Summary: A homeless shoeshine man's heroic self-help gets stalled by city bureaucracy. 6/3/09 - Newswise - "California’s Budget Problems Could Send Homeless Rates Soaring" Summary: Judith Klain, Executive Director of Project Homeless Connect predicts a big turnout of homeless seeking services at PHC's next event planned for Friday, June 5th at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. 6/3/09 - Cincinatti CityBeat - Feoshia Henderson "Safe at Home: City, County ponder giving homes to the homeless" Summary: Following recommendations of an advisory group, Cincinnati city officials plan to move toward a "Housing First" plan to help its homeless. Like other cities with similar policies, including San Francisco, the goal is for agencies to "provide housing quickly, then assist with other services — like substance abuse treatment or job training — as needed." 6/3/09 - Business Wire - Press Release " Homeless Mom to Entrepreneurial Photographer" Summary: Woman who was homeless 20 years ago in Marin County achieved success with a photography business, "Mugshots", and will give advice about how to take advantage of new loan opportunities promised by President Obama's stimulus bill. 6/2/09 - ABC7 News - Vic Lee "CA seniors vulnerable to more cuts" Summary: 40,000 elderly and disabled Medi-Cal recipients can be thrown out of adult day care centers if state budget cuts are implemented. Many will likely become homeless. Video. 6/2/09 - Public Press - Kevin Stark "Homeless counseling group first on Health Dept. chopping block" Summary: Article explores how and why Caduceus Outreach Services, a SOMA neighborhood nonprofit which counsels homeless persons, could close July 1 due to the city's unprecedented budget crisis. Video interview of Caduceus executive director Marykate Connor included. 6/2/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. budget cuts 1,600 jobs, trims services" Summary: Mayor Gavin Newsom's newly released city budget proposal strains credulity of San Franciscans affected by jobs and services slashed. Mayor Newsom confides however that he wants to save some services and will add them back by the end of June if the supervisors do not. Story includes photos of the Central City Hospitality House Self-help Center which lost funding in the mayor's budget and faces being closed. 6/2/09 - BeyondChron.org - Paul Hogarth "Newsom Budget Figures Don’t Add Up" Summary: Analysis of Newsom's budget proposal and statements about it suggests the mayor does not understand or endorse its conclusions, does not understand the will of the voters, and lacks the leadership to fight planned State budget cuts. Hogarth reports: "In a bizarre (almost Orwellian) moment, Newsom lamented some of his cuts ones that affect the homeless– and said he hoped the Board of Supervisors would reverse them." 6/1/09 - San Francisco Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F.'s budget casualties barely beginning" Summary: Expecting their release today, the Chronicle gives more detail about San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom's sweeping budget cuts, many of which will affect the homeless. Two tidbits: Michael Katz, the director of San Francisco's Public Health resents "the pushback" from advocates (assumably like Jennifer Friedenbach of the Coalition on Homelessness) as if the budget cuts are a crime. Also, the City Board of Supervisors still have about a month to make changes. 6/1/09 - KCBS Podcast - Bob Melrose "SF Budget To Be Released Monday" Summary: KCBS news broadcast reports Mayor Newsom is angry over the reduction of "pork" to cities and counties from Sacramento which forces San Francisco to make cuts to services including services to the homeless. (MP3) 5/30/09 - KCRA 3 Sacramento "Hundreds Show Up For Homeless Connect Event" Summary: Video and story of how more than 700 homeless people line up in Sacramento to get help from an event modeled on San Francisco's Homeless Connect. 5/30/09 - San Francisco Chronicle Meredith May "Dinner With Grace brings SRO residents together" Summary: The traditional soup line is bypassed by a charitable program that brings dinners directly to formerly homeless SRO residents once a month. 5/30/09 - Wall Street Journal Phred Dvorak "On the Street and On Facebook: The Homeless Stay Wired" Summary: Vignettes of homeless San Franciscans who consider internet access a necessity. 5/29/09 - EarthTimes.org Larkin Street Youth Services Press Release "Bay Area Financial Leaders Honor 2009 CFO of the Year Award Winners and Finalists" Summary: Larkin Street Youth Services, which has served homeless and at-risk youth in San Francisco for 25 years, raises over $360,000 in support at an event honoring Bay Area CFOs. 5/28/09 - San Francisco Chronicle C.W. Nevius "Plan would pay residents in Care Not Cash housing" Summary: As Mayor Newsom's program to move San Francisco's homeless from the streets to housing marks its fifth year, an idea surfaces to reward some Care Not Cash recipients with... cash. 5/27/09 - BeyondChron.org - Randy Shaw "In Gavin Newsom’s San Francisco, Even the Appeal Process is Rigged" Summary: City Supervisor David Campos has announced he will call for a public hearing about the Request For Proposal / Request For Qualification process that affects buildings for formerly homeless persons. Shaw says the current process under Mayor Newsom's watch encourages waste and cronyism. 5/26/09 - UC Berkeley News - Barry Bergman " A sunny day for graduates — and the many who helped them" Summary: Chris Gardner whose homelessness was dramatized in the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness gave the keynote address at UC Berkeley's Class of '09. Highlights of his message: "Everybody got here today because somebody helped them," and "what you do does not define who you are." 5/25/09 - MissionLocal.org - Afred Vidales "Vignettes: Cesar Chavez Ave." Summary: Like many other Latin American immigrants, Rafael, who is homeless, finds survival in San Francisco more challenging with the arrival of an economic recession. 5/24/09 - Edmonton Journal - Chris Zdeb "Event connects Edmonton’s homeless with needed services" Summary: Edmonton, Alberta initiates a "homeless connect" modeled on San Francisco's. 5/22/09 - NewAmericaMedia.org - Chris Tamaru and Ann Bassette "Young and Homeless During the Recession" Summary: Story and video about a young girl's experiences trying to overcome a troubled past which included being homeless in San Francisco. 5/22/09 - Countercurrents.org - Garda Ghista "Who Is To Blame For The Tent People?" Summary: Short essay explores moral choices and homelessness. 5/21/09 - Penn Current - Heather A. Davis "On the Streets" Summary: Interview of Philippe Bourgois whose latest book “Righteous Dopefiend," describes his study of the lives of homeless drug addicts near his San Francisco home. 5/19/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Joe Sciarrillo "Dazed and confused: Marijuana and quality-of-life cases clog Newsom's Community Justice Court" Summary: The Community Justice Court, aka Homeless Court, is hearing a lot of personal use marijuana possession cases, something specifically discouraged by City law, and hears a lot of quality of life cases, instead of focusing on more serious offenses. 5/17/09 - The Chronicle - Meredith May "S.F. Central YMCA members sad it will close" Summary: The Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA building in the Tenderloin neighborhood will close on June 30, 2009 to make way for homeless housing. A new health clinic funded and operated by the Department of Health will complement the new housing when renovation is complete (expected 2010). 5/15/09 - nbcbayarea.com - Seher Sikandar "Wrapping Up the SF Film Festival" Summary: Review of the documentary film "Empress Hotel" which tells stories of drug addicts and homeless persons in San Francisco. 5/13/09 - The Chronicle - Aileen Yoo "The Scavenger: Homeless shelter to be unveiled at Bay to Breakers" Summary: A modified tent for homeless use called EDAR Everyone Deserves A Home is being unveiled in San Francisco. A non-profit shelter in LA is ordering hundreds. 5/13/09 - The Chronicle - Kevin Fagan "Skid Row gone, but memories linger just around the corner" Summary: The SOMA area of 3rd and Howard used to be Skid Row 50 years ago, and Chron writer Art Hoppe would write about it. 5/12/09 - Beyond Chron.org - Randy Shaw "SPECIAL REPORT: San Francisco’s Request for Proposal/ Request for Qualifications Deception " Summary: Beyond Chron editor asserts that mayor Gavin Newsom allows bids for contracted services for housing the homeless through his Care Not Cash program to be rigged by letting incompetent outsiders to make judgments on them. 5/8/09 - KGO abc7news.com - Vic Lee "Homeless families demand affordable housing" Summary: With recession doubling the number of homeless families in San Francisco, homeless mothers storm the mayor's office seeking to meet with Gavin Newsom. Result: one of the mayor's top aides told the protesters, he'd get back to them. 5/8/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "City Insider: Homeless families demand support" Summary: Some homeless families protested at City Hall demanding more shelter and affordable housing for the 150-190 families currently on the wait list for family shelter. 5/3/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "A Care Not Cash success story" Summary: A one-time pimp and addict and CNC participant has turned his life around even with great odds stacked against him. 5/3/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. making strides to solve homeless problem" Summary: Care Not Cash program is credited with helping house the homeless, but still leaves people without enough money to live on. 4/29/09 - San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center - Bill Carpenter "City Hall..... Why are you CLOSING Homeless Services!!!" Summary: Homeless People brought their needs straight to San Francisco City Hall in order to receive some of the life sustaining services they would have to live without if proposed budget reductions are enacted by San Francisco public officials. Six-minute QT movie. 4/27/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. homeless population grew 2% in 2 years" Summary: The 2009 count showed 6,514 homeless in San Francisco, up 2% from 2007's count. 4/26/09 - The Chronicle - Evelyn Nieves "The Dalai Lama serves hope to SF homeless" Summary: The Dali Lama visited Martin de Porres House of Hospitality and spoke of homelessness among other topics. 4/16/09 - NewAmericaMedia.org - Charles Jones "Dope Fiend Landlords Thrive in the Housing Crisis" Summary: Youth comments about how illegal drug dealers exploit homeless persons in San Francisco. 4/9/09 - Christian Science Monitor - Christopher D. Cook "Amid recession, is San Francisco losing its heart?" Summary: San Francisco slices aid for the needy. Advocates cry foul, but others see a need to curb spending. 4/9/09 - The Examiner - Brent Begin "Library helping homeless patrons" Summary: The Main Library at the Civic Center is using different methods to address the homeless population using their facility. 4/9/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "S.F. Justice Center - not all are on board" Summary: The Community Justice Center is still receiving criticism while hearing cases and trying to convince the public of its good. 3/26/09 - The Chronicle - Marisa Lagos "Advocates want stimulus cash used to avoid cuts" Summary: The Mayor's office is not committing to saving programs that have been cut due to the budget shortfalls, and advocates want the stimulus money used to save cut programs. 3/25/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Editorial "Saving SF's human services: Obama specifically stated that the FMAP cash should prevent a loss of services, somehow, Mayor Gavin Newsom doesn't see it that way" Summary: The Mayor's office is sending confusing signals as to how it will spend the Federal stimulus money, and many fear it won't be used to stop a loss of services. 3/24/09 - SF Weekly - Ashley Harrell "Gathering Storm: They pile up their stuff to the point of fire danger and rat infestation. A task force is taking on this nearly insurmountable problem." Summary: Hoarders and Clutters present problems for the SROs they live in, often resulting in evictions and health problems. 3/5/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F.'s new community court opens" Summary: The Community Justice Center opened this week, but so far defendants aren't showing up. 2/28/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Homeless 'education' group not learning lesson" Summary: A group called Homeless Services Coalition asks for donations to help the homeless, and may only be giving a small percentage to actual charities, with some charities asking not to be associated with them. (Note: this group was also profiled in a Guardian article in 2007. 2/25/09 - SF Weekly - Herman Wong "Gimme Shelter: Musician once played for the homeless as charity. Now he is homeless." Summary: A musician who played piano at the shelter as charity lost his pharmaceutical company job and ended up staying at the same shelter as a client. 2/24/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Rebecca Bowe "No service area: Health and human services budget cuts will show on the streets" Summary: Major budget cuts are affecting Tenderloin Health, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, SF General Hospital, and other critical homeless services. 2/21/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Homeless man turns successful entrepreneur" Summary: A homeless man was able to use small business programs and an agreeable corporate attorney to start a business that has now become profitable. 2/19/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "S.F. to get $19.8 million aid to homeless" Summary: Federal stimulus package has funding for homeless programs, including rent subsidies for homeless families of which there has been a noticeable increase. 2/12/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Eye care - needed by homeless and vets" Summary: Homeless participants at the latest Project Homeless Connect overwhelm providers with the need for eyeglasses, especially veterans. 2/4/09 - SF Weekly - Peter Jamison "Their Daily Bread" Summary: A soup kitchen run by nuns recently opened in the Tenderloin, and residents are upset that social do-good groups, especially religious ones, target the Tenderloin for their service for the poor, and attract undesirable elements into the neighborhood. 2/4/09 - SF Bay Guardian - Rebecca Bowe "Without a net - Newsom's budget: More hungry homeless people, more deaths at SF General" Summary: The Board of Supervisors and others are trying to come up with alternatives to the mayor's proposed cuts that will decimate emergency services. 2/1/09 - SF Examiner - Tiffany Maleshefski "Credo: Philip Mangano, advocate for homeless" Summary: Philip Mangano, executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, gets interviewed by the Examiner. 1/31/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "Services too focused on the Tenderloin" Summary: CWN wonders if a high concentration of service providers in the Tenderloin is because there are a lot of homeless, or because the homeless go to the Tenderloin because of the number of service providers. 1/14/09 - SF Bay Guardian "The Hard Times Handbook: Free food, music, and movies. Cheap drinks, dates, and dining. Plus much, much more in our guide to surviving these tough times in style" Summary: Not really about homelessness, but they do mention SFHomeless.net on Page 4 of the online article. Thanks SFBG! 1/6/09 - The Chronicle - Heather Knight "City Insider: Homeless sweeps at Civic Center Plaza?" Summary: There are complaints of more aggressive government action against the homeless in Civic Center Plaza; also the Streets and Neighborhood committee presents its final recommendations to the mayor this week. 1/6/09 - The Chronicle - CW Nevius "City finds funds for money-saving program" Summary: Firefighter Niels Tangherlini runs the cost-effective HOME Team (Homeless Outreach and Medical Emergency) that helps inebriated homeless and cuts down expensive trips to the ER, but the mayor's office almost cut the funding despite saving lots of money for little money spent. Category:Media